


xmas sux

by deadratz



Series: our hearts need work [6]
Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Cannibalism, Christmas, Christmas Party, Christmas Presents, Domestic, Domestic Hannigram Hell, Established Relationship, Fluff, Franklyn dies, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Minor Alana Bloom/Margot Verger, Murder, Timestamp, fbi christmas party, sorry - Freeform, the title suggests this christmas sucks but it’s quite the opposite, they have a christmas party at home too
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-26
Updated: 2020-12-26
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:35:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28338561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deadratz/pseuds/deadratz
Summary: Will grew up having nothing but lousy and lonely Christmases. When he and Hannibal share their first Christmas as a married couple, Will wants nothing more than to do it right.Set after ‘the place we end ain’t always where we began’
Relationships: Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter
Series: our hearts need work [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1967875
Comments: 19
Kudos: 126





	xmas sux

**Author's Note:**

> Woo! This was going to be 2000 words and then it truly got away from me. Who would’ve thought I’d end up with 12.1k words of a Christmas story when I don’t even like Christmas? This is several hours late, but these characters have a mind of their own. 
> 
> A lot of this is really silly. Completely self indulgent to get back into writing after some time off. Hope you enjoy!
> 
> Also beware this is not proofread. I am certain there are many mistakes and they’ll be fixed in the coming days, but I needed to get this out. 
> 
> Title: xmas sux by frank iero. duh

“There’s an FBI Christmas party next weekend. Everyone that sleeps at this house more than three nights a week is going,” Will says, looking at Nicky as he sets the invitation down on the kitchen counter. Her hair is blue now, far from the bright orange it had been when they first met. Will still finds it odd that a contract killer would have such recognizable characteristics. He really means to ask her how she goes about her process, but he feels as though some questions should just remain unasked. 

He knows she won’t want to go to an FBI gathering before he even proposes the idea. If he’s being honest, he doesn’t want to go at all, so if he has to, he’s forcing the entire family into going with. At least that way, they can have a full table to themselves and not need to talk to anyone else. 

“I’m not going anywhere near a building that has more than two FBI agents in it,” Nicky says defensively. She turns to Abigail, “Sorry, looks like we have to break up because I’m not going to that party.”

Hannibal sighs. “Take it from myself, Nicky. Having acquaintances in the FBI is actually quite beneficial for people like us.”

“Pretending I didn’t hear that,” Alana says, walking into the room with Margot in tow. 

“Good, although, we were not saying anything incriminating, Alana,” Hannibal smiles. “Not this time, at least. I was simply telling Nicky how beneficial it is for someone in this household to be familiar with the people of the FBI. Considering, greatly, just how much we have had to call them in to clean up our messes each time someone new finds themselves wanting to kill my husband.” 

Will glares at him and Hannibal smiles and blows him a kiss from across the kitchen. That just makes Will huff and draw a line across his throat to show Hannibal he’s going to kill him later. It’s bad enough that Alana might know more than she should, they don’t need Hannibal dropping any sort of hints that it’s all true. 

They’ve been careful, but they know she’s cleaned blood off the floor for them. Will told her it was from a fishing accident, but there was no injury to show for it, so he’s certain she didn’t believe him. 

Especially not after she caught Will scrubbing the floor even more, a bottle of luminol spray sitting on the counter. He knows she’s not stupid. If it were his own blood, he wouldn’t put that much effort into making sure there’s no evidence. 

“Alana, how are you today?” Will asks, changing the subject. “I do hope you aren’t planning on dinner with us tonight. Hannibal and I are going out.”

“Oh not at all, I’m just picking Margot up and saying hi to everyone. We have plans,” Alana smiles. “And about that FBI party; We should request a table all together.”

“Good idea. No one will come to talk to us if we don’t want them to,” Will agrees. He glances at Nicky and sees that she seems pleased with that idea. He knows Hannibal will go around the room and talk to every single person there before the night is finished, but Will can sit at the table with Nicky and Abigail and speak to no one if he doesn’t want to. 

“Then I believe that is settled. Everyone in this room will be in attendance for the Christmas party, and Will and I will be leaving now that this is all figured out,” Hannibal says. He’s now at Will’s side, having moved across the kitchen while Will was conversing with Alana. He loops his arm through Will’s and pulls him out of the room and towards the mud room. 

“Jesus, Hannibal. We have time, baby,” Will whispers. He picks up Hannibal’s keys from the bowl by the door. “It’s only a stakeout tonight and we are way ahead of schedule.”

Hannibal crowds Will against the door and presses his body to his. “Maybe I just want you all to myself,” Hannibal whispers. He leans forward and kisses Will, then brings his hands to cup Will’s cheeks. “My wonderful husband.”

“We’ve been married for months, are you ever going to get over it?” Will laughs against Hannibal's lips. He knows the answer. The novelty will never wear off for Hannibal. The satisfaction he feels by calling Will his husband. They’ve gone over it a million times in the last five or so months. 

“Of course not. We should actually get dinner tonight. I already know this man’s routine, the stakeout really is not necessary,” Hannibal says. He kisses Will again before Will can answer. 

There’s the sound of a throat clearing at the other end of the mud room and Will moves his head to look over Hannibal’s shoulder, just as Hannibal turns his head to look as well. He doesn’t step away from where he’s pressing Will into the door that leads to the garage. Abigail and Nicky are standing in the doorway on the other end, arms crossed. 

“You really have to do that here? You knew we were leaving right after you,” Abigail huffs. 

“And you should know to always give us at least ten minutes,” Hannibal states, matter-of-factly. He turns back to look at Will, as if he dares kiss him again, just to prove a point until the ten minute mark is met. Will shakes his head and lightly pushes Hannibal away. 

“Later,” Will promises. 

——-

Except not later, either, because Hannibal decides that tonight is as good as any to just kill the man they were supposed to be _watching._ And when Hannibal gets into that mindset, Will has no choice but to let him go for it. Of course, all of the precautions are in place, there’s no one else around, Abigail and Nicky will provide an alibi if needed. Maybe even Margot if necessary. 

So Hannibal throws the sedated man into the back of the Bentley while Will sits in the driver's seat, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel and watching Hannibal in the rear view mirror. 

The man they chose is one of the killers Will is currently on a case for. They only know it’s him because of Hannibal, so there’s no way Will could give up the identity to the FBI unless he wants to give away himself and Hannibal, too. So they’re killing him instead, dropping his body off somewhere remote, pieces scattered, but only enough that, when the body is uncovered, the FBI will just assume the missing pieces (kept by Hannibal and Will to be eaten), were just found by wild animals. 

They want the man to be found, wallet and all, be identified, and that way they’ll find his house, the forensic evidence they’re certain will be there, but nothing to tie it back to Hannibal and Will. 

It’s the method they’ve been taking recently, no elaborate displays, nothing to suggest the Ripper is still around. Sometimes they keep entire bodies, incinerate or dissolve what they can’t use, but that’s risky in itself. Sometimes they stage deaths to look like suicides, not taking anything at all. It’s been working so far, but their conjoined body count is rising and Will knows they’ll have to cool down for a period of time if they want to keep their lives. 

Hannibal gets back in the front seat next to Will, removes his gloves and unzips his plastic suit just to breathe while he catches his breath. 

“He is heavy,” Hannibal says between deep breaths. “I’ll need your help carrying him into the house. Especially if he starts to wake up.” 

Will nods once and turns on the ignition. Hannibal wiggles out of the plastic suit and kicks it off into the footwell. 

“Call Margot, then. She texted me that she’s home, so she’ll have to hold the door for us,” Will says. After Hannibal gets his seat belt on, Will finally puts the car in drive and heads for home. 

Hannibal dials Margot’s number, the ringing coming out over the car’s bluetooth. 

“Yeah?” Margot answers. 

“We’ll be home in like fifteen minutes. Can you hold the door for us? We have a body.” Will tells her.

“Alana’s here.”

“Can you keep her upstairs? I was not aware she was staying the night,” Hannibal frowns. 

“One second.” Margot’s voice comes out muffled when she says, “I’ll be right back, Alana. It’s Hannibal and Will.” There’s a shuffling of fabric, likely Margot getting out of bed, the opening and shutting of a door, and footsteps. Her voice comes clear now, but hushed. “To be fair I was under the impression that you two weren’t killing anyone tonight. You said stakeout and dinner, not a body. Forgive me for thinking I was in the clear to have Alana come home tonight.”

“You’re right. You know how stubborn Hannibal is, though,” Will sighs. “Can you keep her upstairs? Just until we get the guy to the basement.”

Margot sighs on the other end. “Yeah. Fine. You guys owe me, though.”

“Of course, Margot. Anything you want,” Hannibal agrees. 

“Text me when you get here,” Margot says and hangs up. 

Will keeps his eyes on the road and bites his lip, fists clenching on the steering wheel.

“Darling,” Hannibal whispers, putting a hand on Will’s thigh. 

Will’s shoulders relax, not even aware of how tense they were until then, and he eases up on the wheel, removing one hand to put it over Hannibal’s. He doesn’t say anything while he drives one handed. 

“What is it, Will?” Hannibal murmurs after a minute. 

“We need to stop,” Will sighs. “This should be the last one. For a while. With the holidays coming up, I’m sure Alana will be spending a bit more time at our house, Jack will probably stop in because he doesn’t have anyone now that Bella’s gone. It’s not worth the risk.” 

“I agree,” Hannibal says. “This can be the last one for a while. We are definitely walking a thin line right now and if we keep it up, we will likely make a mistake. It’s true, Alana has been spending a lot of time with us. Either she needs to be let in on what we do, or we need to not do it.”

“She knows too much as it is,” Will huffs. 

“Yes, perhaps. But I believe her allegiance to us, as well as Margot, is enough to keep her quiet. She has changed a lot since Margot came into her life,” Hannibal says. 

Will nods. “She used to be so, so by the book, and now she’s pretending she doesn’t know what’s going on in our home. It has to do with what we did to Mason, I’m sure. If Randall hadn’t have done it, I have no doubt in my mind that Alana would’ve killed him herself.” 

Hannibal hums in response and turns his hand under Will’s so he’s palm to palm with Will’s hand. He laces their fingers together and gives a light squeeze. 

“Maybe she needs to kill someone,” Hannibal whispers. 

“And what? Come to us for help? And be forever in our debt?” 

“Precisely.”

“And if she doesn’t come to us for help?”

Hannibal shrugs. “She’ll still have killed. She’ll understand from a more personal standpoint. Not all of our plans need play out exactly as we come up with, just as long as there is a similar outcome to what we desire.” 

Will barks out a laugh. “You mean like how we’re killing this guy tonight instead of next week like we _planned?”_

Hannibal just grins and doesn’t say a word as Will pulls into the garage. Will watches him pull out his phone and send a text. They both step out of the vehicle and put their plastic suits back on. 

A minute later, the door opens and Margot is standing there in just an oversized t-shirt. 

“Hurry up,” she hisses. 

Hannibal opens the trunk and lifts the man’s shoulders as Will grabs his feet. They move towards the door, Will walking backwards in front of Hannibal. Hannibal freezes and Will shakes his head, hopping it’s not what he thinks. 

“Who’s that?” Alana asks from behind him. 

Hannibal smiles. “Our friend had too much to drink tonight and we said he could stay with us for the time being.” 

“And why are you in plastic suits?”

Will doesn’t dare turn to look at her. Margot has stayed silent the entire time. Hannibal doesn’t seem too worried which bothers Will more than he can comprehend. 

“Guys, I know a lot. I know you’re going to kill that man,” Alana says. Her voice is firm, no nonsense. “I’m not going to tell anyone. I am sure you have a very good reason for it. Just know that if you get caught, I am denying knowing anything.”

“Yes, that is reasonable. This is our own ordeal, Alana. You and Margot will never be dragged into our own situations beyond holding doors for us,” Hannibal says. “We have never had any intention of telling anyone that Margot knows if it comes down to it. We hold the same rules for you.” 

“Right. Good. I’m only okay with any of this because I know what you did for Margot.” 

“Very well. Now this gentleman is very heavy. If you would please excuse us,” Hannibal says. 

Alana steps out of the doorway and stands next to Margot off to the side and Hannibal and Will carry the killer inside. They go through the mud room and into the kitchen and Margot follows, going to the pantry’s trap door. She opens that for them and they descend into the dark basement. 

“We’ll be downstairs a while. If Abigail comes home, so let her know where we are,” Hannibal says to Margot. 

“Sure. We’ll probably be heading to bed soon, though,” Margot replies.

“Very well. We will see you in the morning,” Hannibal smiles and they take the man down the stairs. 

Will doesn’t participate tonight. He hadn’t wanted to kill the man tonight in the first place. Hannibal doesn’t pressure him, never has for as long as they’ve been doing this together. 

“This should all be fine for tonight. We can take him out tomorrow,” Hannibal says as he finishes up. He bunches up the tarp, full of cut up body parts, carefully not to spill anything. Will watches him as he puts it into a garbage bag, then drops it in their large freezer. 

Hannibal carries his choice of organs over to a sink to rinse, then puts them into the basement fridge. 

When they’re all cleaned up, plastic suits hosed off and hanging up next to their others, body parts in their designated bags, Hannibal shuts the overhead light off and pushes Will towards the stairs. 

“You have not spoken much tonight, my love,” Hannibal whispers into his ear from behind him. They emerge into the pantry and Hannibal leans down to shut the trap door. 

“Nothing to say,” Will shrugs. It’s true, there isn’t much to discuss about the night itself. There’s nothing to say about whether they should do something about Alana, or not. He already knows the answer will be to trust her. 

“Are you hungry? We never did get dinner.”

“Sure. I’ll eat. Something quick, though. I want a shower.” 

“You can go shower while I prepare something.” Hannibal presses a kiss to Will’s forehead. Hanninal should know better than to suggest Will go up alone. 

Will shakes his head. “A shower with _you._ Or a bath, actually. After we eat.” 

Hannibal kisses Will’s lips softly. “I like that idea. Something simple to eat, then.”

He turns away to the fridge and starts pulling out meats and cheeses and vegetables. Then he pulls out a knife and starts to cut everything. 

“So.” Will starts. He watches Hannibal’s hands as they slice a cucumber. Hannibal looks up expectantly, then down again, careful not to cut himself. “Christmas is coming up.”

“You hate Christmas, love,” Hannibal says, not looking up again. 

“Maybe, but. I don’t know. I just had a lot of lousy and lonely Christmases growing up. We never had much money for presents. It was just me and my dad,” Will shrugs. “This is the first Christmas in this new house. _Our_ first Christmas as _husbands._ Maybe I don’t hate it as much anymore. Because of you.”

The corners of Hannibal’s mouth lift into a faint smile and he finally looks up at Will again. He says, “Did you want to do anything special?”

“I don’t know. Maybe we should get a tree this year. We didn’t have room last year,” Will says. “I know the girls would enjoy it. We can all decorate it together.” He quickly adds, “If you think that’s something you’d like.”

“Anything you want, Will. I mean that. Anything,” Hannibal says seriously. He brings the plates of food around the counter to where Will sits on a stool. Will’s convinced him that they don’t need to eat in the dining room all the time. Even convinced him that it’s okay if Abigail wants to eat in her bedroom once in a while. He knows Hannibal would do anything for him. 

“What do you want?” Will asks. 

“We can decorate a tree, and I would enjoy cooking a Christmas dinner, of course. Maybe we could even bake cookies,” Hannibal says. “Abigail has been asking me about gingerbread cookies, actually.”

“You wanna decorate gingerbread men? Should we make a house, too?” Will jokes. 

“Actually, I would enjoy that. It combines art and cooking in a way that would please everyone.”

“Well. Okay, yeah,” Will agrees. “That sounds great.”

He never had the whole Christmas cookie or tree decorating as a kid. Him and his dad would eat dinner and sometimes his dad would give him a small gift if he had the money that year, but he never expected much, knowing it wasn’t always possible. Now, he has a whole family, a husband, a house and enough money to buy everyone gifts. It could be better. He hopes it’s better. 

——

They finish dinner and, as Will had suggested, go upstairs to their bedroom to take a bath in the master bathroom. The bathtub was made specifically so they’d both fit in it, Will’s back pressed to Hannibal’s chest. It’s relaxing. 

Even after all these months, Will still isn’t completely settled into the life of a killer and after each kill, whether he participates or not, he seeks out Hannibal’s embrace when possible. Hannibal has always used baths as a grounding technique for Will, something comforting and relaxing, something to wash away the night’s activities. Ever since the early days of their relationship, when Will had woken up that one night, drenched in sweat, scared by the auditory hallucinations, Hannibal had helped Will into the warm water and washed his hair for him. 

After Will killed Matthew Brown, Hannibal told him to take a bath, had undressed him while he was barely present, helped him in, and coaxed him back to himself. When they killed Freddie, Will had gone home and slid into the tub, trying to regain his hold on himself, but it took until Hannibal came home and pulled him out for it to have any effect. Will realized that it’s not just the bath itself, but the safety of Hannibal as well. The warmth, the massaging of shampoo through his scalp, that’s what helps. 

It’s become somewhat of a tradition following each kill. 

“How are you feeling?” Hannibal murmurs into Will’s ear. His arms tighten around Will’s chest and Will drops his head to Hannibal’s shoulder. He tilts his face so he can kiss Hannibal’s jaw. 

“I’m fine,” Will says, truthfully. “Good actually. You know I just like being close to you after.”

“Mm. That’s good, and yes I know. I still don’t quite understand how you can see me cut a man into fifteen different sections and still seek comfort from me,” Hannibal whispers. “But I am grateful you have never faltered in your love for me.”

“And I never will,” Will promises. “Wash my hair?”

“Of course.” Hannibal presses a kiss right below Will’s ear and Will sits up so they can get in a better position for Hannibal to wash his hair for him. Will moans quietly at the sensation of Hannibal’s fingers massaging his scalp and he knows Hannibal is smiling behind him. 

When they finally get out and dry off, Will goes and stands in front of the electric fireplace in their bedroom and switches it on. Hannibal comes and stands behind him, both of them still naked from the bath, and presses his body to Will’s back, wrapping his arms around Will from behind. Will leans back into him and lets Hannibal and the fireplace warm him.

“Come to bed.” Hannibal kisses the side of Will’s neck and Will turns in Hannibal’s arms to catch his lips with his own. 

“Did Abigail ever come home?” Will asks. He worries about her, knowing that she goes along on Nicky’s kills. If Nicky ever gets caught, Abigail would, too. 

“I don’t know,” Hannibal whispers against Will’s lips. He doesn’t seem concerned about her, though Will knows he likely is in his own way. Hannibal doesn’t have to be outward about the way he feels, in order for him to feel things. He only tends to show his emotions in regards to Will. 

“I’m going to go check, then,” Will says, pulling away. He pulls on pajama pants and one of Hannibal’s sweaters and leaves Hannibal where he stands. 

He walks down the hall, past the open room where the dogs are all sleeping in their beds. Winston lifts his head and wags his tail before dropping his head back down and falling back asleep. Will comes to Abigail’s door and listens, hearing no sounds from inside and then knocks.

“Yeah?” Abigail’s voice calls out. 

“Just making sure you made it home,” Will says through the door. “We’re going to bed.”

“Yeah, I’m home. Goodnight,” Abigail answers. 

With that worry lifted from his shoulders, he returns to the bedroom. Hannibal is standing in front of the window, now wearing a sweater and pants. He turns his head when the door opens, then looks back out towards the fields. 

“It’s snowing,” Hannibal says when Will comes up behind him. 

“Yeah. Come to bed, baby.” Will grabs Hannibal’s hand and pulls him back to bed. Hannibal gets under the covers and Will turns off the lights before getting in next to him. He rests his head in Hannibal’s shoulder and sighs. Then asks, “What do you want for Christmas?”

“I already have everything I could possibly need,” Hannibal whispers. He pushes Will off of him and rolls Will to lay on his side, facing away. Hannibal lays behind his back and pulls Will tight to his chest. Before Will can ask him again, Hannibal asks, “What do you want, darling?”

“Another puppy,” Will says. He’s only half joking. 

“Careful, or I will actually get you one. Don't say it unless you mean it,” Hannibal says. Will can feel his smile against the back of his neck. “I think I’ll purchase you some new suits, too. That is mostly for myself, though.”

“That’s fine,” Will nods. “But seriously. Is there anything you want? Something for the kitchen, maybe?”

“I can always use extra aprons, cutting boards, and storage containers.”

“Boring, but okay,” Will agrees. “I’ll figure something out. Books? Any you’ve been wanting? Or maybe drawing stuff?”

“No books, but if you want to get me sketchbooks, then I would like that. I’ve been wanting to get back into painting, too,” Hannibal says. 

“I’ll get you paint and canvases then,” Will says. “You should come with and pick them out. I don’t know much about art supplies. We could go get a tree and the baking supplies that day, too.”

“Tomorrow?” Hannibal asks. “It’s Saturday.” 

“If we don’t get called to a crime scene, sure.” Will lifts his head and turns it to the back of the room where the window is. Hannibal looks up at him curiously. Will explains, “Or if we don’t get snowed in.”

“We won’t,” Hannibal whispers. He kisses Will’s neck once Will is laying back down. “I believe we are both tired, though. We can talk more in the morning.”

“Hmm. Yeah. Goodnight, Hannibal,” Will whispers. He shuts his eyes, sleep creeping up on him, the coziness of their bedroom pulling him under. “I love you.”

“I love you, darling.” 

—-

No phone calls wake them in the morning. Instead it’s the sound of pawing outside the door and Margot walking past their bedroom, yelling at the dogs to leave them alone. Will knows she’ll put them outside for him. She works at the horse stable on Saturdays, and if she’s up, she doesn’t mind taking care of the dogs at the crack of dawn. 

Hannibal’s arm is resting over his waist, his face pressed to the back of his neck. Will can feel his breath against his skin, where his mouth is slightly open. He can hear Hannibal’s soft snoring and smiles. Hannibal would deny that he snores. He doesn’t even sneeze in front of other people, can’t let them know that he’s just as human as everyone else, but Will gets to see him, know him. Every small thing that makes Hannibal who he is, Will gets to be aware of. No one else has ever been let in, not in the way Will has. 

Will lifts Hannibal’s arm from his waist and is met with a low groan, but Hannibal doesn’t wake up, just turns to sleep on his back instead. Will goes to the bathroom to pee, then comes back and climbs back into bed, laying down with his head in Hannibal’s chest. 

“Hm?” Hannibal hums, finally rousing from sleep, after so much noise and movement. 

Will knows Hannibal hasn’t always been this heavy of a sleeper, isn't when he’s sleeping alone on nights Will isn’t in bed with him. Whether Will is working late on his lecture slides and doesn’t go up to bed until the early hours of the morning, or when Will is away on cases and calls Hannibal in the middle of the night after waking up from a nightmare, Hannibal wakes at the slightest sound. But when Hannibal falls asleep with Will next to him, knowing where he is and that he’s only a few inches away, that they’re both safe, that’s when he can relax and sleep like the dead. 

One of Hannibal’s hands comes up to rest on Will’s back. His accent is thick with sleep when he mumbles, “Good morning, my love.”

“I’m not ready to get up yet,” Will tells him. 

There’s no point in getting up yet. With the dogs taken care of, no crime scenes to consult on, and with the shops not open yet for another several hours, they have time. He wraps himself around Hannibal's body, who makes a noise in agreement and they both fall back asleep. 

Will wakes to the sound of the door opening and turns his head to see Abigail letting the dogs in. Michelangelo comes and jumps up on the bed, Winston following suit. 

The others follow Abigail back down the hall while the two that stayed try to squeeze into the small space left between Hannibal and Will in the bed. Will moves farther away from Hannibal’s sleeping body and lets the dogs where they want to be. He wraps an arm around Michelangelo’s body, petting him lazily until the dogs and Will fall back asleep. 

The last time he wakes, it’s on his own accord, no longer tired. He wakes, laying in his stomach and lifts his head to see Hannibal is sitting up against the headboard, tablet in hand. 

“Mornin’ Hannibal,” Will mumbles. He rolls onto his back and looks up at him, then at the screen in front of him. Hannibal is playing candy crush. 

“Good morning. Are we ready to get up?” Hannibal asks. He powers off his tablet and sets it on the nightstand next to him. Will rolls over and buries his face in Hannibal’s thigh. A hand settles on the back of his head, fingers tangling in his hair. 

“Yeah. Breakfast?” 

“Of course.” 

Following breakfast, they get into Will’s car and head off to the nearest art supply store. Hannibal chooses what he wants and tries to pay for it himself, but Will snatches his card out of his hand and hands the cashier his own. 

“I said you could pick it out, not pay for it,” Will mutters. Hannibal has an issue with letting Will pay for anything, but Will is not going to let Hannibal pay for his own Christmas gifts. 

Hannibal replies with a kiss to Will’s temple. Will takes the bags and carries them out of the shop. 

“These are being wrapped and put under the tree. I know you know what your gifts are, but I still want to wait until Christmas for you to open them,” Will states. They get into the car and Will pulls up directions to the place to pick up a tree. 

“Of course. Although, if I do bring home a puppy for you, I do not believe I am going to wrap him up and put him under the tree,” Hannibal jokes. 

“Oh really?” Will asks sarcastically. “Oh. What should we get Abigail?”

“Hm. She mentioned needing a laptop.”

“Then we can get her one. You pay for that,” Will decides. “We can wait a few days. I think we should get the tree and get decorations for it and go home. Abigail’s off today and Margot only works until 2 so we can decorate it today.” 

“That sounds like a good plan to me.” 

——-

Will turns into the lot for Christmas trees and pulls his hat out of his pocket and over his hair. When he gets out of the car he shivers and digs his hands into his coat pockets to shield from the cold. Hannibal pulls a pair of gloves out of his own coat pocket and hands them to Will, then pulls out another pair for himself. 

“Thank you,” Will says as he pulls the gloves over his hands. 

The snow on the ground that fell last night crunches under their feet as they walk to the rows of Christmas trees. Hannibal wraps an arm around Will’s shoulders while they walk and Will can’t help but lean into him while trying not to let his smile show too much. 

“You could easily keep a pair of gloves in your coat pocket at all times. You keep a hat there,” Hannibal says. 

“But then what will I rely on you for?” Will asks. He kisses Hannibal’s cheek. “I just lose gloves, that’s all.” 

“This may seem like a reach to consider, but you could keep them in your glove box.”

Will huffs out a laugh. He jokes, “Now that would be ridiculous.” 

They choose a tree and get it tied to the roof of Will’s car and get into the car. Will cranks the heat and puts his hands in front of the vents, still cold despite Hannibal’s gloves. Hannibal pulls Will’s hands into his own and rubs the feeling back into them.

“I have ornaments packed away,” Hannibal says once they’re back on the road, heading back to their home in Wolf Trap. “I think they’re in a box in your old house.”

They kept the old house to use as storage for all of Hannibal’s extra stuff. Will doesn’t know how he fit it all into his house in Baltimore, but Will is also glad their new home doesn’t have _all_ of Hannibal’s antique furniture in it. One day they’ll sell the house, or Abigail will move into it when she’s sick of living down the hall from them, but for now it just has stuff in it. And it works well for when Will really needs some space, or needs to be able to work without distractions. 

“You decorated for Christmas before I came along?” Will asks in disbelief. Hannibal really doesn’t seem like the type to celebrate if he doesn't have to. 

“I used to host dinner parties around the holidays. A tree in the house sets the mood for the guests even if I don’t care one way or another.”

“You don’t want to have a dinner party this year?” Will asks. 

“It would be very short notice if we did host. Everyone I would invite likely already has plans.”

“Well, our family doesn’t. And I know Bev, Jimmy, and Brian don’t really do anything with their families for Christmas. Jack doesn’t have anyone. We could invite everyone over. Something small, we can just get drunk and play games,” Will suggests. He knows by the change in Hannibal’s posture that he wants to say ‘ _that’s not a dinner party.’_ Will continues, “It’s not one of your parties, that’s for sure. But that’s how friends with nowhere else to go do it.”

“You would be more comfortable with that kind of party?” Hannibal asks. Will can tell he’s not fully on board. 

“Fuck yes. Ugly christmas sweaters and _pizza_ instead of suits and fancy food? Yeah. Let’s do it.” 

Hannibal huffs. Definitely not on board. This is payback, though. Will has sat through Hannibal’s parties for a long time now, never comfortable with the company or the outfits. Never sure which things on the plate are actually edible until he sees what Hannibal puts in his mouth. Hannibal can sit through one night of cheap beer, greasy pizza and Monopoly. 

“Am I required to wear an ugly sweater?” Is Hannibal’s only question.

To which, Will answers, “That, or Christmas footie pajamas.”

It’s a joke, but Will thinks he might buy him the footie pajamas anyway. Hannibal complains that his socks always fall off in his sleep, so that’s why he doesn’t wear them and puts his cold toes on Will’s shins instead. Will hates it. Yeah, the pajamas with built in feet would be a funny, but practical gift for Hannibal. He might not wear them, but the look on his face when he opens them will be satisfying enough. 

“Very well. This is your party, so you’re in charge of the menu and the guest list. Though, I will be making cookies for everyone and buying gifts. If you can tell me exactly who is coming then that would make it easier on me.”

“You don’t have to buy them gifts,” Will says. 

He parks the car in front of the house and they call Abigail.

“Are you home?” Will asks when she answers. 

“Yes.”

“Can you get the front door for us?” 

Abigail sighs on the other end. “Another body?” She doesn’t wait for Will to deny that before she says, “Yeah I’ll be down in a second.” And hangs up. 

“She thinks we have a body,” Will laughs to Hannibal. They get out of the car and start untying the tree. “Is that _seriously_ all we’re good for?” 

The front door opens and Will looks up to see Abigail’s jaw has dropped open. 

“Sorry I assumed it was a body. Are we doing Christmas for real this year?” Abigail asks. Will realizes she hasn’t had a proper Christmas since living in Minnesota with her parents. He frowns at that and thinks they should’ve done it the year before, lack of house space be damned. 

“Yes. Going to have a Christmas party, too,” Will answers. At her look, he says, “A normal party, not a Hannibal Lecter party.”

“Oh, thank god.”

They drag the tree up the porch steps and into the house, leaving a trail of pine needles all over the floor. Without being asked, Abigail grabs a broom and a dustpan and starts to sweep them all up while Hannibal and Will get the tree set up in the living room, right next to the harpsichord. 

Within five minutes of bringing it in the house, the cats already try climbing it and Will just laughs. Hannibal has a frown on his face while he watches Donatello try to hide inside it. Will puts a hand on his shoulder and rubs the tension out of him. 

“It’s okay. They’ll get bored of it soon,” Will says. “Let’s go find your ornaments, then.”

They walk across the snowy field to Will’s old house and Will unlocks the door and pushes it open. He turns on the light and looks around, boxes stacked high, the shelves full of books they didn’t need at home, furniture that didn’t make the move. 

Hannibal crosses the room, clearly knowing exactly where his Christmas decorations are, and picks up the box. He nods at a second one and Will goes and picks it up himself. 

“Set that one on top of mine and grab that other one,” Hannibal says, nodding to another box. 

Will goes as he’s told and they carry the boxes out of the house. He sets his down on the porch so he can turn around and lock the door again before they make their way back to their home. 

The boxes get set down in the living room next to the tree, to be abandoned until Margot gets home and Nicky comes back later for dinner. They’ll all decorate together after they eat and Will smiles at the idea while Hannibal makes lunch for everyone. 

When Will remembers the bags of Hannibal’s gifts in the car, he runs outside to get them, then pulls his car into the garage. When he comes back into the kitchen, carrying the bags, Hannibal greets him with a kiss on the cheek and then goes back to making lunch. 

It feels like Will has fallen into such a perfect life. Everything they do, even killing people in their basement, feels strangely domestic. He’s beyond happy with the way things have progressed between the two of them. Will married Hannibal thinking he couldn’t be any more in love with the man, but the last several months have proven he was wrong. He falls harder and further for Hannibal with every passing day. 

Especially now, with Hannibal giving him everything he wants and never used to have. He has a real family now, and maybe it’s just a bunch of strays he’s collected, but their bond is stronger than any blood relation could ever be. Blood or not, Abigail is their daughter, Margot is a part of their family, Nicky, too. Even Alana. Considering she knows about their activities, it’s wise they make sure she feels like she’s safely part of their family and that no danger will come for her when she crosses the threshold into their house. 

Will takes the bags upstairs and puts them in his closet, grateful Hannibal insisted they would need two for their bedroom instead of just one. Hannibal may know about the gifts, but Will wants to do it right, wrap them and make sure Hannibal doesn’t see them again until Christmas morning. 

Every part of this Christmas, he wants to do right. 

\-----

“Will, I can get the step ladder from the garage,” Hannibal protests. “You’re choking me.”

“No, just. Hold still. Stop swaying, Jesus fuck. I’m going to fall,” Will complains. 

He’s currently sitting on top of Hannibal’s shoulders, one hand wrapped around his neck to steady himself, the other reaching out to try and get the star on top of the tree. If only Hannibal would step _closer_ and plant his feet firmly on the ground instead of moving around. 

“Hannibal, take a step closer to the fucking tree,” Will growls. 

“You told me to stop moving,” Hannibal retorts. Regardless, he steps forward and Will is finally able to get the star on top of the tree. Hannibal mutters, “Next time we’re using a step ladder, you difficult man.” 

“Whatever. Let me down,” Will says, loosening his grip on Hannibal’s neck and patting his head. 

Hannibal bends down so Will can safely get off his shoulders and Will turns around to look at him, standing directly in front of Hannibal. Will’s fingers graze over the red marks on Hannibal’s throat where his fingers had been digging in moments before. It likely won’t bruise, not too bad at least. 

“Sorry,” Will murmurs. He looks up at Hannibal through his lashes. “Forgive me?” 

Hannibal smiles and wraps his arms around Will’s shoulders. “Always,” he whispers and kisses Will’s forehead. 

Everyone else has long since cleared the room, knowing that Will getting on Hannibal’s shoulders was a disaster waiting to happen. They didn’t want to be witness to a murder if it came down to it. No one ever puts enough faith in the two of them, it seems. 

Hannibal and Will step back and turn towards the tree to admire their work. The ornaments are different shades of blue and silver, some with glitter, some a solid shine. Will is quite surprised by Hannibal’s choice in decor. 

Standing next to each other, Hannibal puts a hand on Will’s back and whispers, “We did good.”

Will grins. “Yeah. We did.”

\----

The days leading up to the FBI party are filled with running around, wrapping presents, finding things to wear. Hannibal insists on them wearing their tuxes, then takes Abigail, Nicky and Margot shopping for dresses for the event. Will stays behind and starts calling people about their own party, to be held on Christmas Eve. 

When that’s settled and everyone accepts the invitation, Will starts looking up other things he can get Hannibal for Christmas, but it’s a lost cause. Hannibal really does have everything he could ever need. Instead, he makes a list of small gifts to get for everyone else. He wraps Hannibal’s art supplies and puts them under the tree, so far the only presents there. Christmas is over a week away, there’s still time. 

He wonders if Hannibal is actually going to get him a puppy. He hopes so, they certainly have the room. They found homes for a few of the dogs, brought in another older one. They have five now, and Will had seven in the small house before. Now their house is much larger, there’s rooms designated for the dogs and they have free reign of the house, as well. A new puppy would be a nice addition to the family. 

Will’s sitting in the kitchen working on his last lecture before the trainees are given time off for winter break. Hannibal and the girls return home carrying shopping bags. A lot of them. Will can’t even imagine how much money was spent today, can’t even imagine how many outfits weren’t brought home yet because they need to be tailored. He’s glad he wasn’t subjected to this outing. 

Abigail, Nicky and Margot carry their bags upstairs and Hannibal lingers in the kitchen. 

“Everyone got something for the party?” Will asks. 

“And then some,” Hannibal says, placing a kiss on Will’s cheek. He stands behind Will, looking at the laptop screen over his shoulder. He asks, “Are you working?”

Will nods, still staring at the screen. He’s typing up a script on the latest case they closed. Closed because the murderer was found in pieces scattered across Virginia and DC. Spread by Hannibal and Will of course. The body that Alana had seen them carrying earlier in the week. 

He shuts the laptop and leans back in the kitchen chair, looks up and Hannibal and smiles. Hannibal leans down and kisses his lips. He can finish his work later. 

“Show me what you got,” Will says. 

Hannibal shakes his head. “I’m afraid everything I got is for you for Christmas.”

“You’re carrying like seven bags, Hannibal. It can’t all be for me,” Will protests. 

Hannibal grins, but doesn’t say anything about the number of bags. Instead he says, “The ladies all got outfits for the FBI party and for our own Christmas party. And yes, they got Christmas sweaters. Yes I got one for myself, too.”

“So not everything in those bags is for me then?” Will raises an eyebrow. 

“Me wearing the sweater is one of my gifts to you.”

“Right,” Will huffs. 

“Have you eaten?” Hannibal asks, moving away to go to the fridge. He doesn’t wait for Will to answer, knowing Will hasn’t. “We all had dinner, but I will make you something.”

“Thanks, baby.” 

Will opens his laptop again while Hannibal cooks and finishes his work while he waits. 

\-----

On the way to the FBI’s party, Will turns in the passenger seat to look at Nicky in the backseat. Then he looks to Hannibal, who’s driving. “Any weapons you guys have stay in the car.”

“We’re not that stupid, Will,” Nicky scoffs. “Why would we bring weapons to an FBI party?”

Will ignores her for the moment then, to prove his point, says, “Hannibal?” And holds out his hand. 

Without removing his eyes from the road, Hannibal sighs, takes a hand off the wheel and removes a knife from his sock. He hands it over to Will and Will holds it up to show Nicky before opening the center console and dropping it in. 

Nicky turns to Abigail. “Is that a set up? Did they plan that?”

Abigail shakes her head. “Hannibal _is_ that stupid.”

“Abigail,” Hannibal says firmly. There’s a frown on his face, and Will wonders if he’s actually hurt by the insult, or just wants sympathy for the sake of sympathy. 

“She’s right,” Will says with a smile. He pats Hannibal’s knee and the frown on the man’s face instantly disappears. 

When they park the car, Hannibal grabs Will’s hand and laces their fingers together as they walk into the venue. He puts the car keys in his pocket, and once inside, they all check their coats. 

Inside the large party hall, there’s circular tables around the entire room. A dance floor in the center, and a bar off to one side. Will spots Margot and Alana at a table in the corner and the four of them make their way over. 

Hannibal releases Will’s hand and pulls his chair out for him to sit before taking the seat next to him. Abigail sits next to Hannibal with Nicky on her other side. Will is next to Margot, and Alana is next to her. Thankfully the tables only fit six and he won’t have to talk to anyone he doesn’t want to. 

“I’ll go get us drinks,” Hannibal murmurs and kisses Will’s cheek before standing and walking across the room. 

Will turns to Margot. “I like your dress.”

“I like your tux,” she replies. “Did Hannibal try bringing a knife again?”

“How did you know?” 

“I saw it glint when he put on his shoes before I left,” Margot shrugs. 

“You didn’t think to tell him that was a bad idea?” Will asks incredulously. “God, you wanted to see what would happen, didn’t you? He’s rubbing off on you.”

Margot shrugs. “I was curious.”

Alana leans forward to get a better view of Will. “Who’s Hannibal talking to? Or rather, who’s talking to Hannibal while he desperately looks around the room for an out?”

Will looks over and groans the second he sees the short round man in Hannibal’s personal space. “What the fuck is he doing here?” 

“Who is he?” Alana asks again.

“Remember at our wedding when I said Hannibal and I started off fake dating because of a patient making advances?” Will asks. When Alana nods, he’s about to continue but the gears click into place.

“ _Him?”_ Alana exclaims. “He thought he had a chance with _Hannibal?_ ... Sorry that’s rude.”

“No, you’re right. I don’t understand it either. I’ll be right back, I should go save him.” Will pushes his chair back and walks across the room to Hannibal and Franklyn. 

He comes up to them, Franklyn’s back towards him so he can’t see Will’s approach. 

“Hey, baby. I was wondering what was taking so long,” Will smiles sweetly. He holds the smile while Franklyn turns to look at him, disappointment evident on his face. “Ah, Franklyn, right?” 

Franklyn nods. “So you two are still together, then?” 

“Indeed we are,” Hannibal nods. 

Will reaches with his left hand for the glass in Hannibal’s left hand, trying to show off their wedding rings without explicitly telling Franklyn that they’re married now. Franklyn seems to see the rings when Hannibal and Will’s fingers brush together. 

“Oh. Congrats on your marriage,” Franklyn says. He smiles weakly, and Will knows he’s very uncomfortable now. 

“Thank you,” Hannibal smiles. Will knows it’s a fake smile, forced beyond belief. But to anyone else, it would appear completely genuine.

Casual as ever, Will takes a sip of the champagne Hannibal brought them and looks at Franklyn over the glass. Will asks, “So, what brings you to an FBI party?”

“I’m good friends with an agent,” Franklyn says simply. Then he glances around the room, and says, “Well, I should get back to them. It was nice seeing you both again.”

Franklyn hurries away from them and Will lifts an eyebrow at Hannibal. Will says, “You’re welcome for saving you.”

“Thank you, darling, but I easily could have handled myself.”

“I have never seen you look so uncomfortable, Hannibal. And Alana even noticed it, too, so it’s not just me picking up on everything.”

Hannibal sighs and takes a sip of his drink. They make their way back to the table and Hannibal says, “I have not seen Franklyn since the day Tobias attacked me in my office. I was hoping his feelings for me had subsided.”

“You’re gorgeous, Hannibal, how could anyone? Even Alana said you’re way out of his league,” Will says. 

“I didn’t say that,” Alana protests. 

“Not precisely, but it’s what you meant.” Will lifts Hannibal’s hand in his own and kisses his knuckles. He lowers his voice so only Hannibal can hear, “You should’ve killed him that day.”

“I needed him around so I could keep having an excuse to take you out,” Hannibal murmurs. 

Will laughs out loud and doesn’t even try to stay quiet. “I slept in your arms the night before, Hannibal!”

“You had just received some troubling news, darling. I didn’t know if it was just because you sought comfort, or if you felt something for me.”

“Well, still. Keeping him alive was for naught seeing as we fucked the next day,” Will smiles wryly. 

“We’re in public,” Abigail whispers. “Can you guys be normal for one fucking night?” 

“Abigail, watch your language,” Hannibal reprimands. 

“You’ve gotta be kidding me. You let Will mention killing someone and then say something about fucking, and he wasn’t necessarily quiet about it, either, but I say _fuck one time_ and I’m in trouble?” Abigail hisses. 

“She’s got a point,” Margot says. “Seriously, can you guys maybe not argue about whether or not Hannibal should’ve killed a man, while we are _surrounded_ by FBI agents.”

Will is about to speak again when Jack Crawford walks up to the table. The entire group falls completely silent.

“Evening, guys,” Jack smiles. “Don’t let me interrupt your conversation, I was just stopping by to say hi.”

The entire table says ‘hi’ back and pretends they weren’t just arguing about murder. Will sighs and sinks further into his chair. He knows this is going to be a long night. 

Following dinner, Hannibal drags Will to the dance floor. He can feel everyone’s eyes on them. Will knows everyone finds Hannibal beyond attractive, and he knows that everyone knows himself. He’s somewhat of a celebrity amongst the FBI agents, across several departments. It doesn’t help that they’re both dressed better than everyone else in the entire building, or that Hannibal is twirling Will, dipping him, guiding their dance across the entire floor. 

When a slow song starts, Hannibal pulls Will close, puts his arms around Will’s neck, and Will wraps his own around Hannibal’s waist as they sway to the music. Couples around them are doing the same, less eyes are on them now that there’s less of a performance between them. He still doesn’t like the feeling that lingers. It still feels like he’s being watched. 

“I hate dancing,” Will murmurs. 

Hannibal tightens his arms and kisses Will’s forehead lightly. “I know. We can sit after this song.” 

“I’d rather just go home after this song.”

Hannibal hums. “We can. Margot and Alana can drive Nicky and Abigail home when they’re all ready.” 

“Can we go now?” Will asks. He’s becoming overwhelmed by the emotions in the room, the way it still feels like he’s being stared at. 

Hannibal loosens his grip and looks into Will’s eyes, searching. When he seems to find what he’s looking for, he nods once and lets go of Will, instead grabbing his hand and leading him off the dance floor. Out of their little bubble, outside of the circling bodies on the dance floor, Will has a second to breathe, a firm hand sitting on his back while he takes a moment. 

“Sorry,” Will whispers. “I know you like this stuff, I just. I can’t shake the feeling that someone’s watching us.”

Hannibal glances around the room and makes an annoyed sound. “Franklyn is watching us.”

“Well, that answers it,” Will huffs. He looks up and sees that Hannibal is right. Across the room, Franklyn stands on his own, staring directly at Hannibal and Will. He doesn’t look away when Will’s eyes lock with his own. “I think we should get out of here. He doesn’t look happy.”

“He does not,” Hannibal agrees. Hannibal takes out his phone and types a message and Will’s phone dings in his pocket. “I texted the family group chat asking if Alana and Margot can drive Abigail and Nicky home.”

“Okay. Good,” Will nods. He rubs a hand over his face. His phone dings again. Another.

“Margot said yes and Abigail says that’s fine. We can leave now,” Hannibal says, slipping his phone back into his pocket and leading Will into the hallway with a hand on his back. 

Hannibal gets both of their coats and hands Will’s to him. In the car, Hannibal says what Will has been thinking.

“We should kill Franklyn.”

“We should, but you know we can’t. But fuck I can’t stop thinking about it.” Will shakes his head. Hannibal holds out his hand to hold Will’s while he drives with the other. “Do you think he was even actually there with someone? I didn’t see him talk to anyone else the entire night.”

“You believe he was crashing the party? To what, stalk me?”

“That’s exactly what I think.”

When they make it home, they go upstairs and strip naked before getting in the shower together. Will leans back against Hannibal’s chest, letting the water wash over them. 

“Sorry I made us leave early,” Will says again. 

“I’m not bothered, Will. Now we just have the house to ourselves for the time being and I can think of something better than swaying on a dance floor together.” Hannibal lightly bites Will’s shoulder, then kisses up the side of his neck, to his jaw. Will turns his face so he can meet Hannibal’s lips with his own. 

“We didn’t even get to kiss under the mistletoe,” Will says against Hannibal’s lips. 

Hannibal reaches around him and shuts off the water, then steps out from behind Will to get out of the shower. He grabs a towel and when Will follows him out, Hannibal wraps them both up in it. 

“No, but I think Franklyn would have started crying if we did,” Hannibal smiles and kisses Will again. 

Will’s phone starts buzzing on the bathroom counter and Will is about to reach over and reject the call, but it’s Nicky. She rarely calls him, so now worry settles in the bottom of his stomach. He accepts the call.

“Nicky, what’s up?” He tries to sound casually, but he’s freaking out. 

“Will. I just got a call from my boss,” Nicky says frantically. “He declined the offer, but someone wanted to put a hit on you. I think it’s probably only a matter of time before whoever it is finds someone else to do it.”

“Did he say who?” He’s not bothered anymore. Another day, another person wanting him dead. It’s routine at this point. 

“It was from a burner cell, but he was able to trace the call back to the building of the party, Will.” 

Will laughs. “Thanks, Nicky. We’ll, uh, handle it from here.”

“Okay,” Nicky says and hangs up. 

Will sets his phone back down and wraps himself back in Hannibal’s arms. “Franklyn tried to hire a hitman to kill me.” 

“What’s to be done about that, I wonder?” Hannibal says. Will can feel Hannibal’s smile on the top of his head, then lips pressing a kiss. 

“Right now, you’re going to take me to bed and we’re going to take advantage of being alone. After that we’re gonna go find the bastard and serve him on Christmas Eve.”

Without another word, Hannibal grabs Will under his thighs and hoists him up so he can carry him out of the bathroom and to their bed. 

\------

Killing Franklyn went a lot smoother than anyone else they have likely ever killed together. Will watches from behind the bushes next to the door while Hannibal rings the doorbell. He has a duffle bag slung over his shoulder, a sad look over his tear stained face. 

When the front door opens, and Frankyn breathes, “Doctor Lecter?” Hannibal lets out a fake sob. 

“I apologize for showing up unannounced but, I… Will and I got in an argument, and I wasn’t sure where else I could go,” Hannibal lies. Will bites his lip to stop himself from laughing. 

“Come in, come in,” Franklyn says, stepping out of the way. 

The door shuts behind them and a second later, Will can hear the sound of a body dropping to the floor. Hannibal opens up the front door again and says, “A little help, my love?”

Will jumps out from behind the bushes and helps carry Franklyn out to the car parked in the driveway. 

Once he’s in the trunk, Will gets into the passenger seat and waits for Hannibal to get behind the wheel.

“Is he already dead?” Will asks. 

“No, just knocked out,” Hannibal says as he pulls out of the driveway. 

Back home, they drag Franklyn down to the basement, not bothering to ask anyone to get the door for them. Hannibal chooses all the organs and cuts of meat he wants, with quite a bit to work with this time around. 

They put it in the freezer to hold until their Christmas party. Hannibal does his work in the same way another killer does his own and they just hope that they aren’t seen as having motive for this one. It’s been almost two years since Franklyn stopped being Hannibal’s patient, so they’re hoping that’s far enough removed from Hannibal. Franklyn fits the same description as the other victims of the specific killer they’re copying, so that will work in their favor. 

They dump the body across state lines then make it home and get in the bath together. It’s nearly four am by the time they fall back into bed and fall asleep. Will is beyond exhausted and is glad they have the entire day to stay in bed if they want to. 

A week previously, Will had said no more killing until after the holidays, but there are exceptions to every rule, and well, Will values self preservation and keeping his family safe, over the lives of jealous little men who want to steal his husband away from him. He finds nothing wrong with that.

\----

Christmas Eve comes along and Will wakes up to something warm and wiggly being set on top of his chest. 

“Huh?” Will sits up and realizes there’s a puppy on his chest, and Hannibal standing next to the bed, smiling down at him. “Oh.”

“Merry Christmas, darling,” Hannibal smiles. He leans down and kisses Will, then goes back to his side of the bed to crawl in, fully clothed for the day.

“It’s not Christmas yet,” Will mumbles. He picks the small puppy up and holds it to see that it’s a male, before bringing it back to his chest. “What kind is he?”

“Some mix of a retriever and mastiff and several other things. I am unsure entirely,” Hannibal shrugs. 

“Well, he’s cute. I can’t believe you got me a mutt.”

“I saw him at the shelter and knew he was the one for you,” Hannibal smiles. “And I know it’s not Christmas yet, but the shelter is closed tomorrow and I didn’t want to keep him in the garage.”

“Did you name him?” Will asks. 

“He’s your gift,” Hannibal says, raising an eyebrow. 

“Yeah, but I know you already named him,” Will says. 

“How do you feel about Heathcliff?” Hannibal says at last. 

“Heath. Sure.” Will pulls the puppy tight to his chest. “Thank you. I love you. Take off the suit and sleep in with me.”

Hannibal leans over and kisses Will. “Someone has to clean up the house for the party tonight and it’s not going to be you.”

“Please?” Will looks up at him through his eyelashes. He sets Heath down in his lap and wraps his arms around Hannibal’s neck, pulling him down onto him. “For a bit.”

“Very well. Let me take off my tie or else you’ll choke me,” Hannibal sighs. Will lets him go and Hannibal gets out of bed and heads to the bedroom door. “Nice try, darling. It’s noon and our guests will be arriving in just a few hours.”

“You asshole. Fine. I guess I’ll get up too.” 

Will sets Heath down on the bed and walks to his closet to pull on a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt. The puppy follows them out of the bedroom and runs in circles around their feet, yipping happily at both men. The other dogs perk up and come running the second they pass their open room.

Downstairs, Will sits on the couch in the living room while Hannibal vacuums around him. Hannibal picks up all the cat and dog toys, changes the cats litter, refills their water bowls. He picks up everyone’s books, the stack of video games next to the console they all convinced Hannibal they needed, moves around some of the furniture. By 2pm, he’s sweating and looks at Will, completely exasperated.

“Why did you even get up if you weren’t planning on helping me?” Hannibal asks. 

“I like watching you work.”

Hannibal mutters something under his breath that sounds like the word ‘insolent,’ and Will cackles. 

“Where are Abigail and Margot, anyways?” Will says after a bit. They’re in the kitchen, Hannibal preparing the meat for dinner. Will planned on pizza for their party, but Franklyn’s meat can’t go to waste and it’s more than enough for the party. 

“Shopping for last minute gifts,” Hannibal says. 

Will nods and continues to watch Hannibal from where he sits on a stool. Once all the food is in the oven, Hannibal turns and looks at him. 

“Shall we put on our Christmas sweaters?” Hannibal asks. He dries his hands on a towel and heads for the kitchen door. Will slides out of his chair and follows him up the stairs to their bedroom. 

Hannibal pulls a bag out of his closet and takes out two sweaters. He hands one to Will and Will unfolds it and laughs the second he sees the front. 

“You picked this out?” Will asks. 

“Yes. I thought it was quite comical.”

“I love you,” Will smiles. He takes off his sweatshirt and pulls the sweater over his head. 

It has a largemouth bass eating a gingerbread man on it. He looks at Hannibal and grins at the sweater he’s wearing. Red with a Christmas tree on it. The ornaments on the tree are small balls made out of tinsel. 

“Abigail chose mine,” Hannibal says. 

It’s absolutely ridiculous, but so endearing. The fact that Hannibal is indulging Will like this, with a party that is so out of Hannibal’s element, warms Will’s heart. He really can excuse murder and cannibalism for the sake of love. Just because of things like this. Small things that prove Hannibal’s devotion. 

They head downstairs to find Abigail and Margot quickly wrapping gifts at the kitchen counter. They’re laughing and Will is extremely glad they have each other. Two women who can relate in more ways than one, who were victimized by and survived their family and their trauma. The sisters neither of them had while growing up. 

Nicky and Alana show up soon after the presents are all wrapped, both wearing ugly Christmas sweaters of their own, both carrying cases of beer. 

When Jimmy and Brian show up they’re in suits, covered in candy canes, trees and ornaments. Jimmy’s is green and Brian’s is red, but their ties are switched. Will isn’t entirely sure if the two of them are a couple, but after showing up together like that, it seems even more possible. 

Jack shows up too, then Beverly. Everyone carries gifts and booze and says something about how good the food smells, how nice the decorations are. 

“You guys got a new puppy? Since when?” Alana asks. She picks Heathcliff up in her arms and he licks her face. 

“This morning,” Hannibal says with a smile. “Will’s Christmas present, of course.”

“Will, you really did marry the right man. Where can I find one like him?” Beverly says, putting a hand on Will’s shoulder. 

He glances at Hannibal who is beaming under the praise. In a way only Will really recognizes. To anyone else, he probably looks emotionless, but to Will it’s clear he’s beyond satisfied. 

After dinner, they open up the cases of beer, turn on some music, get some board games out. Will can’t help but smile as he looks around the room, Hannibal sitting at his side would an arm behind his back. 

All these people, with nowhere else to go for Christmas, finding somewhere to be, somewhere surrounded by love. Will has always had a habit of picking up strays. 

Too many drinks has Jimmy Price laughing loudly as he stands next to Will. Hannibal is back in the kitchen, collecting more wine from the pantry. Everyone else is having their own conversations, but Brian Zeller watches the two of them, a drink in his hand, covering the smile forming on his lips. 

“Okay, okay okay. Okay, Will,” Jimmy says. He glances over at Brian, who is mouthing words at him. Will watched Jimmy expectantly, knowing this has to be good. “Okay, you and Lecter fuck right?”

“We _are_ married, Jimmy. And we dated for over a year _before_ that. So I think it would be safe for you to assume that without having to ask,” Will says patiently. He’s not drunk enough for whatever this conversation is going to be, but it’s amusing nonetheless. 

“Right. I guess that makes sense,” Jimmy says, lost in thought. He finds his head again and looks back to Will. “Right, okay, so. Are his tits, or uh pecs? _Really_ that massive or does he like, wear padded shirts?”

If Hannibal could hear this conversation now, he would lose it, Will knows that much. Will chokes on a laugh then starts coughing. He takes a second to gather himself back together then says,“He does not wear padded shirts, Jimmy.” 

“Good. Brian owes me $50.” 

Jimmy walks away after that and when Hannibal comes back into the room, Will can’t help but laugh again. Hannibal tilts his head but Will just shakes his own. He’ll tell Hannibal later. 

At some point Beverly sits down next to Will where he sits, curled into Hannibal’s side on the couch. She flops down and leans into him slightly. 

“I love you guys,” she says. “Really. Thanks for this. It’s not easy having all my family out of state and with a job like all of ours, impossible to get the time off around the holidays.”

“It’s our pleasure, Beverly,” Hannibal says. Will knows he means it too. 

It was realized quite early that none of their friends were going to be able to drive themselves home. It’s even more apparent as they all start to slouch in their seats. 

Abigail and Nicky retired to Abigail’s room quite early on in the evening. Margot and Alana sit in the corner of the room next to the fireplace and Will knows it’s only a matter of time before they go up to bed too.

He turns to Hannibal. “We should get the guest rooms ready,” he murmurs. “Well, Jimmy and Brian look like they’re about to fall asleep on that couch. Jack might be out soon, too. But Beverly probably wants a bed.”

Hannibal nods once. He stands and leaves the room, coming back several minutes later. 

“Beverly, did you want to stay in our guest room tonight?” Will asks her.

“Probably a good idea,” she responds. She stands up and stretches. 

They show her to the room, then return to see Margot and Alana have gone upstairs. Jimmy and Brian are passed out on the couch, Jimmy laying against Brian’s chest. Will puts a blanket over them and turns to look at Jack. 

“You good there? Otherwise we’ve got another guest room,” Will tells him. He’s met with a wave of dismissal. 

Will follows Hannibal back into the kitchen and watches as Hannibal locks the pantry door. Just in case one of their friends decides to get nosy in the middle of the night. 

“Are you tired, darling?” Hannibal asks.

“Not particularly,” Will says, shaking his head. 

They go sit in Hannibal’s study, the fireplace on and warm. Will sits in Hannibal’s lap in one of their arm chairs, head resting on his shoulder. He fists his hand in the chest of Hannibal’s soft sweater while Hannibal’s holds him around his waist. 

“I hope your party was everything you expected,” Hannibal whispers. 

“More than,” Will answers. “Thank you for indulging me tonight.”

“After everything you sacrifice for me, every single day, I believe this is well past due,” Hannibal smiles against Will’s hair. “And seeing as there is nothing I would not do for you, I do not expect thanks of any kind.”

“Regardless. Thank you.” 

Will tells Hannibal about the conversation he had with Jimmy Price and smiles the entire time he does. Especially when Hannibal doesn’t respond to any of it. 

After minutes of silence, Hannibal says, “Let’s go to bed.”

——-

In the morning, their friends clear out as they wake, and Will can tell Hannibal wishes he could cook a large breakfast for everyone, but they all leave before Hannibal can get downstairs. 

Regardless, he cooks for Margot, Abigail, Nicky and Will. Alana already left, having prior plans to see her parents in the morning. 

When everyone has eaten, they sit around the tree and open the gifts they all bought for each other. Will opens suit after suit from Hannibal, but finally in the last gift bag is an assortment of flannels, all different colors. He opens different fishing gear, books, a brand new pair of boots, perfect for wearing outside with the dogs. 

Hannibal opens his art supplies and pretends to be surprised and Will loves him even more for it. He opens the watch Will bought him, the footie pajamas that Will did decide to buy after all. He explains that now Hannibal can’t press cold toes to his legs in the middle of the night anymore. 

Abigail is beyond happy with the laptop Hannibal chose for her, and all of the new clothes he bought her too. Nicky opens a set of throwing knives and her face lights up. That was a joint effort between Hannibal and Will. Margot opens the earrings Abigail helped them choose and pulls all three of them into a hug. 

By the end of it, when all the wrapping paper is cleaned up, the gifts tucked away into closets and on shelves, when the dogs pile into bed with Hannibal and Will at the end of the day, Will definitely feels like this Christmas has been done right. 

**Author's Note:**

> As always, leave comments and kudos.


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